Communication Competence

Aspects of Communication that are Common Sense

Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is the “process of generating meaning using behavior other
than words” (Jones 164). Even though the meaning of various nonverbal cues may be
different across cultures, they are generally a matter of common sense in a given culture.
People often learn nonverbal signals through socialization rather than formal study. For
instance, when a person is making a public address while fidgeting or avoiding making eye
contact, the audience will conclude that the speaker is not prepared well, is poor at public
speaking, or lacks confidence. If a parent asks a child where he/she has been and the child
answers with a stammer or a shaky voice, the parent may conclude that the child is lying. The
audience and the parent do need to study in order to understand the meaning of various
nonverbal signs. Nonverbal cues seem like a language that comes naturally to them. Even
those who use it in their communication are often unconscious about the signals that they are
sending to their audiences. As Jones (167) explains, “nonverbal communication leaks out in
ways that expose our underlying thoughts or feelings”. In other words, this form of
communication cannot be learned; it is often used unconsciously or “leaks”. For these
reasons, it is an aspect of communication that I consider to be common sense.

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Listening

Listening involves “receiving, interpreting, recalling, evaluating, and responding to
both verbal and non-verbal messages” (Jones 229). Listening starts from infancy and
continues all the way to a person’s death. Even though there are various aspects of effective
listening that can be learned, in most cases listening is a skill that comes naturally to people.
For instance, keeping quiet and giving a speaker all the attention that they deserve is a skill
that people develop without any form of training. Thus, listening is an aspect of
communication that can be considered a common-sense aspect.

Aspect of Communication that One Needs to Study

Intercultural communication

One of the aspects of communication that one needs to study is intercultural
communication. Jones (403) defines intercultural communication as “communication
between people with differing cultural identities”. To effectively communicate in such
settings, one needs to have knowledge and skills that can help them to manage the cultural
differences in an effective and appropriate manner. It is through having such knowledge and
skills that one is able to avoid ethnocentrism. According to Jones (403), ethnocentrism is
“tendency to view our culture as superior to other cultures”. In order to challenge
ethnocentrism and become a more ethical communicator, one needs to study intercultural
awareness and understand the perspectives and cultures of other people. Since intercultural
communication requires one to be aware of their culture and the culture of the people that
they are communicating with, it is an aspect of communication that one has to study.

Public speaking

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Even though some people are naturally good public speakers, public speaking is a
learned skill for a large number of people. One needs to learn how to prepare and deliver a
speech. Since there are different types of speeches, one also needs to learn how to prepare for
the different speech types. When it comes to delivery, one needs to learn how to overcome
anxiety that often hinders effective speech delivery.

Communication Strengths

Good listening skills

One of my strengths as a communicator is that I am a good listener. Listening is
defined as a “learned process of receiving, interpreting, recalling, and responding to verbal
and nonverbal messages” (Jones 229). Listening has indeed been a learned process for me.
Until five years ago, my listening skills were extremely poor. My teachers, friends, and even
family members often complained about my poor listening skills. Realizing that poor
listening skills could have serious negative effects on my personal relationships, academic
achievement, and career, I started practicing good listening skills. The practice has paid off
because I now consider myself an excellent listener. When listening, I give the speaker my
undivided attention, constantly monitoring both their verbal and nonverbal signals.
Sometimes I take notes to make sure that I capture all of the important messages of the
speaker. Through these skills that I have learnt and practiced over time; I often recall most of
the information that speakers relay. I am also able to offer constructive and relevant feedback
to the speakers.

Communication Weaknesses

Poor writing skills

Surname 4
A major communication weakness that I have is poor writing skills. My friends and
colleagues often tell me that I often use long sentences which are difficult to read and
comprehend. Sometimes, they finish reading my writings without understanding the message
that I was trying to convey. Generally, even though I do not have problems with spellings or
grammar, my writing lacks conciseness.

Poor public speaking resulting from anxiety

One of my biggest weaknesses when it comes to communication is nervousness when
speaking to large groups of people. Part of the cause of my nervousness is the feeling that the
audience are scrutinizing every aspect of my speech, dress, and personality, and judging me
harshly. I feel that perhaps they do not like my voice or that they whatever I am saying is not
profound enough. Generally, my nervousness results from my feeling that the speaking event
may threaten my image and credibility. All these negative feelings result in intense
nervousness which in turn negatively affects my ability to speak confidently in front of a
gathering. I often find my voice quavering and my hands shaking when speaking in public.
All these body movements and negative emotions usually make me to avoid public speaking
situations altogether.

Strategies for Improving My Communication Competence

With regards to public speaking, there are a number of steps that I can take to improve
my communication competence. Once I manage to overcome anxiety, I will be able to
become an effective public speaker. As Jones (495) advises, anxiety can be reduced through
systematic desensitization, cognitive restricting, skills training, and physical relaxation
exercises.

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At the core of systematic desensitization is the understanding that the uncertainty and
novelty of public speaking is one of the key sources of anxiety (Jones 495). Thus, one can
reduce their anxiety through removing the uncertainty and novelty of public speaking. To this
end, I plan to make as many public speeches as possible in order to familiarize myself with
public speaking.

Apart from systematic desensitization, I also plan to apply cognitive restructuring.
Cognitive restructuring is “changing the way we think about something” (Jones 495). For
instance, any time I am about to give a speech, I will always remember that embarrassment
has never killed anyone. Another aspect of cognitive restructuring is communication
orientation modification. According to Jones (495), communication orientation modification
is thinking public speaking less as a performance and more of a conversation.

Lastly, I will use skills-training and physical relaxation exercises. Skills training
involve learning and practicing various aspects of public speaking, such as voice projection
and use of gestures. Physical relaxation exercises include taking deep breaths before speaking
to reduce anxiety levels. With regard to writing skills, I plan to practice as much as possible
until I am able to write in a precise and concise manner.

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Works Cited

Jones, Richard. Communication in the real world: An introduction to communication studies.
The Saylor Foundation, 2013.